The Downward Spiral
by Merascylla
Summary: "Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster...for when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you" - Friedrich W. Nietzsche Yang tries to find peace of mind in delivering her own brand of vigilante justice.
1. The Downward Spiral

"There will be no next time...blondie," interjected Mercury as he flew towards Yang in a blur of motion. His voice callously sheared through her mind as she raised her arm in preparation for a downwards strike to stop the silver-haired man. As knuckle and knee connected, a shot was fired from her gauntlets, and following that, the horrifying sound of bone breaking could be heard. The razor sharp snap seemed to echo around her, and was amplified tenfold into a thunderous cacophony. Gripping her head in frustration, Yang let out a howl and opened her eyes to find herself sitting straight up in bed. Breathing heavily from the experience, she found herself drenched in perspiration.

Sunlight streamed through the window and warmed her moist cheeks, telling her that it was probably time for breakfast. Ruby and the others had gone down to the mess hall on this lovely Friday, it seems. _Lovely? Not even_ , thought Yang as she winced at the vestiges of the nightmare. It had been a recurring dream since the tournament finals; that traumatic experience of having the crowd against you when you knew you did nothing wrong. For days afterwards the blonde wondered if she really had gone insane. Yang let out a depressed sigh as she put on her scarf and walked towards the door in preparation for another day of self-doubt and furtive glances cast her way.

Weiss was on her scroll, staring intently at a broadcast as the rest of her teammates were crowded around her. Apparently dust robbers had blitzed several households last night, leaving in their wake broken windows and broken families. The police were consoling a mother, who was weeping into the hair of her deceased daughter. "Is there…no justice in this world?" she sobbed as several befuddled policemen stared on. _Of course not_ , whispered Yang as a niggling thought grew in her brain. She decided to address it later and sat down silently, much to the continued chagrin of her teammates. The usually ebullient blonde had been nothing like her usual self these few weeks; her friends had tried to console her, only to have a terse "I am fine" shot their way. "We have sparring today, Yang!" offered Ruby as she flapped her arms in excitement. _Great_ , thought the girl as she gritted her teeth. _Let's hope I don't break anything today._

Dragon narrowed her eyes as she bounced the idea she had thought of this morning through her head. She was spread out on the dorm rooftop, and the cool wind that was ruffling her golden tresses seemed to calm her down. _That's right, nobody believes in words. You gotta prove it to them through actions. Justice isn't served just because someone calls for it. Someone has to grab it and go out there to show that justice still exists._ With a determined scowl, Yang got up and begin to work out the details of her retribution.

The scroll told the rider of a yellow sports bike that a police report had just came in a few minutes ago, with the location being a few blocks away. Clad in a form-fitting black jumpsuit and her painted black helmet, nobody who saw the figure could tell that it was Yang. The rider revved the engine and raced towards the location, hoping that there was still time.

The young Faunus smirked as he hopped out the smashed window, throwing a sack over his shoulder. As he turned to make a break for it, the color drained from his face as his escape route was barred by a frightening figure. The figure closed the gap with remarkable speed and delivered a powerful uppercut, which stunned the robber. As he drifted into unconsciousness, he could swore he saw the burning eyes of the reaper staring back at him from under the visor of his assailant's helmet.

Yang had never felt so alive in weeks as she raced away from the crime scene amidst the wail of impending sirens. _It's one of the things I can do to atone for the injustice in this world_ , rationed the girl as she reassured herself.

The next weeks passed in a blur as Yang sneaked out at night to carry out her one-man vigilante mission. Her grim determination must have leaked into her daily actions as her interactions with her friends brought on more concerned stares. _They will understand_ , consoled Yang as the reports on a mysterious criminal-apprehending figure was broadcasted on the screen. The students shifted uncomfortably in their seats as the reporter told of the criminal's condition. Apparently the beatings had gotten more violent, with each one found in a worse state. Broken bones and fractured ribs were becoming more common. One was even found maliciously stabbed in the gut with pieces of glass. _He deserved it!_ argued Dragon silently with the reporter as she turned and tramped back to her dorm room.

Yang Xiao Long stared into the mirror and saw not the cheerful adventurer that she used to be, but a driven vigilante with a twisted sense of justice. Her bloodshot eyes had a broken, fatigued look, as if they were tired of being mistaken for criminals, as if they just wanted to be filled with the violet enthusiasm that she once possessed. The blonde cried out in frustration and slammed her fists against the wall, staring at the glassy abyss once again with burning resolve. _I have to do this, because no one else will_ , she thought as she put on her helmet once more.

The leaves whirled around in concentric circles as the wind chased them away from the impending storm clouds. A distant rumble of thunder could be heard as Yang made her way towards an alley. Sure enough, a man was stuffing something into a bag as distraught cries could be heard from a neighbouring window. Yang blazed towards the surprised robber and elbowed him into a wall, knocking the wind out of him. She picked him up by the collar and shook him. The man only grinned, which sent Dragon into a furious rage as she dropped and kicked him mercilessly. Seeing red, Yang picked up the crowbar the criminal had brought along and hit him again and again. She didn't care where it made contact as long as there was the sound of breaking bones.

Suddenly, she felt a gust on her back and the whirr and click of complex mechanisms working. Cold steel wrapped around her throat, and in the glistening moonlight she could see the distinctive curve of a red scythe. "Move, and you get it," said the assailant flatly. In response, Dragon flipped backwards and used the momentum to grip onto the handle and fling her boots into the assailant's face. The hooded figure avoided the attack in a scattering of rose petals and fired a shot from her weapon. Using the momentum, the scythe wielder rebounded off the wall and brought her scythe down onto Yang. Anticipating the move, Yang dodged and rounded the back of her fist into the attacker's left temple, which sent her crashing into a pile of garbage cans. Dragon rushed forwards as the attacker reacted and brought up the scythe, the blunt force of which knocked her helmet off. Yang stopped as her golden feathers cascaded down and reflected the moonlight.

"Y-Yang?" stammered Ruby uncertainly as she looked with misty, silver pools. The golden-haired figure, who was standing stock still, crashed down on her knees and begin to tremble. The sound of her sister's voice had shaken her out of her deranged fury. _What have I done? I almost killed my sister_ , thought Yang as she started whimpering. Ruby got up and hugged her sister as the chasm opened up and started pouring forth rivers of agonizing tears. Yang looked into her sister's eyes as rivulets of rainwater ran down the sides of her face. She saw nothing but understanding and forgiveness.


	2. The Fragile

Yang had her arms crossed in front of her chest, and she was pacing back and forth restlessly. Her demeanour was in stark contrast to the rustling calm of the forest. She brushed a stray golden bang out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at the figure sitting placidly next to her. Blake was sitting _seiza_ -style among the varying shades of carmine and crimson, elegantly pouring steaming hot tea from a carved jade teapot into two cups. Yang noticed momentarily that the handle was of a dragon seemingly chasing after its own tail. Noticing that she had stopped pacing, Blake cradled the cup in her hands and observed Yang with cool eyes, as if she was waiting for her to speak. The pair had agreed to meet up in Forever Fall to discuss Dragon's new activities. The trees seem to listen in anticipation as slight gusts ruffled the red flares and sent them whirling to the ground.

'Ruby…she told you, didn't she? Always had trouble keeping secrets,' sighed Yang. The moment her sister found out that night, she was determined to comfort Yang, but not before telling the rest of her teammates.

'Even if she can't, she should have,' mused Blake as she took a sip of tea. 'We are your teammates after all. We should look out for one another.'

'I know, but this is different! I have to do this after all that's happened,' said the blonde as she threw her arms up in frustration.

'Sit and have some tea, Yang,' advised Blake as she closed her eyes and took another gentle sip, the rising vapor dampening her raven hair.

Yang sighed dejectedly and sat down, cross-legged, and gripped her boots in her palms. She could feel her own perspiration- sharp and animal.

She sat down the cup in her lap again and looked serenely at Yang. 'Do you remember the talk we had when I was obsessed over the White Fang? You told me to not let it consume me.'

Yang jolted at the sudden recall of memory, and grunted. 'That was different- you were obsessed over something identifiable that was affecting you. This, this is different. I don't know what's gotten into everyone, or if I am the problem.'

'Look, it's just like you told me. I am not asking you to stop, I am telling you to not let your life revolve around it,' said Blake as she tilted her head. 'I know you are finding a way, but it's going to take time. I am not exactly in a position to tell you what to do, but I do know that hurting people like that is wrong.'

Dragon fidgeted as she crossed her arms again. The sudden movement had made the untouched cup of simmering tea in front of her ripple. She stared at the marred reflection of herself on the glassy surface and offered in a low tone: 'You do believe me, don't you? That I didn't do that on purpose?'

She could feel the brunette tensing up; Yang didn't look up from the settling tea as she waited for the response.

'It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that under certain circum- ' Blake stopped abruptly as Yang looked up at her, the intense violet eyes meeting her amber orbs. In that split second she knew what Yang felt, that another friend couldn't trust her.

Dragon got up, and in her exasperation, knocked over the teacup. The spilled tea had dyed the carpet a dull scarlet. 'Just like you to run circles around the problem without telling me what you truly think, huh Blake?' huffed Yang angrily as she turned to leave.

Blake tried to make a sound but her throat had dried up despite the tea. She tugged at her bow in frustration and loosened her hold on the cup, which she did not notice that she had been gripping tightly. Something's changed; Yang was no longer her usual carefree, confident self. The sharp bitterness displayed her ever-growing self-doubt.

'Okay, stop! I promise I will return everything!' screeched the young woman as the figure with the black helmet drove her knee further into the small of her back. Alarms blared as sirens could be heard wailing in the distance. The girl winced in pain as Dragon strained her arms and bound them, noticing in a flash the mysterious symbol on her wrist, the unnatural curves reminding her of a demon's maw.

Knocking her unconscious, she thought about Ruby. She hadn't really criticized Yang for doing this, and wanted to understand Yang in her own idealistic perception; she couldn't fathom that her sister, an unshakeable pillar of self-confidence, could lose her way. Ever since that confrontation, Yang had been hesitant when apprehending criminals, as if she was unsure of herself, as if she didn't want to let the growing rage of being misunderstood take over and disappoint Ruby. _What should I do? What's happening to me?_ pondered Yang as she left the woman in an alleyway near the Dust shop. She revved Bumblebee and stared momentarily at a neon sign as the faded flashes drifted hazily into the night air like lost souls; the multicolored spots still dancing across her visor as she rode into the darkness.

She didn't want to go, but Ruby was complaining about the 'stupid lady stilts', which amused Yang slightly as she watched the budding Huntress stagger and fall on Weiss, much to the latter's annoyance. She agreed to attend in resignation to make sure Ruby didn't embarrass herself. It was the summer solstice celebration, and Yang opted for a flaring, vermillion bustier dress that was bound to turn heads.

The warm atmosphere of party chatter and the clinking of glasses was familiar to Yang, and she reminded herself to enjoy such a social event. _Blake's right,_ she thought, _besides, people don't seem to care anymore._ Glad about the change of pace, Yang rearranged her tresses, put on her usual confident smile and went over to Team RWBY's table, where punch was being served. Weiss, who was usually accompanied by Neptune during events like these, was sitting at the table by herself, looking rather solemn.

'Weiss, what's wrong? Isn't Neptune supposed to be with you?'

'Supposed is the right word,' sighed the pale-haired girl as she looked away, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. She was looking at a Neptune, who was currently teasing an older looking brunette with sultry amber eyes whose glossy locks cascaded down the left side of her face.

'Ooh, I will see that he gets a good _teasing_ right after this,' growled Yang in her playfully vicious manner when it came to defending her friends. 'Come off it, Weiss, I am sure there are plenty of better guys out there.'

The comment puzzled the heiress and she sharply turned back to the blonde. 'Weren't you all gloomy and depressed? You seem to have recovered, if that's the right word.'

'Nah, Blake says I just have to slow down and think things through; figure out what's important in life,' replied Yang as she toyed with the stem of an empty glass of punch.

'You know, Ruby told me what you have been up to and I am not sure if I agree with that. Seems like you are not trying to solve your problems appropriately,' observed Weiss as she drummed her perfectly manicured platinum nails on the table top.

'What does that mean?' scowled Yang as she placed the glass down. She noticed that the same niggling feeling was flaring up inside her once more.

'What I am saying is, is that your _work_ may be an unhealthy outlet for the anger you felt towards people who misunderstood. I already said I trust you, and I still do, but I won't tolerate such self-destructive behaviour from you,' Weiss offered haughtily as she crossed her arms.

'Don't patronize me. You have no idea how it feels.' Yang's tone had gotten dangerously low and she gripped the table in an effort to contain her spiralling rage.

'I am not,' Weiss countered as she leaned back on her chair. 'I am telling you to stop trying to fix your problems by conforming to some perverse notion of justice; one where it involves beating up people.'

Dragon howled with barely contained fury and delivered a right hook with such speed and force that the very air seemed to reverberate. Weiss seemed to have anticipated this and a black glyph appeared on her left to intercept the punch. Having blocked it, the pale-haired girl met the blonde's crimson eyes with an icy, self-satisfied glare. The sudden outburst had attracted the attention of a few nearby pairs of eyes, which have started whispering among themselves in hushed undertones of nervousness.

Enraged, the furious blonde delivered an uppercut that Weiss would not have predicted in time. Her face shattered with composure as she braced for the ensuing impact, only for a raven-haired girl in a claret gown to appear between fist and face. Surprised, Yang couldn't stop herself in time and punched Blake, who felt surprisingly ethereal. The form dissipated and Blake had Weiss on her shoulder a few feet away from the table. Ruby had hurried over barefoot; she was holding her heels by her fingers. Dragon felt like a victim in the arena again as the orbs stared at her with mixed emotions of curiosity, fear and empathy. The embers flared like a corona as her sister stared on with those pools of mercury, enveloping her mind in an inferno of self-doubt.

She growled in frustration and turned to run out of the building.

'Yang!' Ruby called out as her sister disappeared into the humid darkness, the vestiges of her glowing semblance trailing behind her receding figure like lost flashes of neon.

Yang cradled her helmet as she looked once again into the glassy abyss at herself, clad in black leather. _Fools, the lot of them. I will show those idiots how it feels to have injustice done upon one's self,_ echoed a voice acidly that was definitely not hers. She clutched her head and shook it, as if trying to exorcise the consuming madness that reflected the deranged look in her eyes and make sense of who she was, and who she was becoming. _This isn't me anymore,_ struggled Yang as the image in the mirror started to transform into a wickedly grinning figure. Terrified of the emerging shadowy aura, she screamed in defiance and punched the mirror, Ember Celica impacting the silver surface and causing lines to snake their way out from the center, further distorting the image and somehow making it seem more unnatural. Her shocked expression had been slashed into a morbid, haphazard smile by the jagged edge. Darting her eyes away from the abyss, Yang quickly put on her helmet and headed out in a hurry.

Ozpin had approved of them using the program; Team RWBY was responsible for their teammate after all, and as headmaster he had to do all he could to ensure the safety of his students. Ruby had suggested that they track Yang's movements with her Scroll. She had to be using it to continue her vigilante work. After such a fuelled fit of rage, Ruby was concerned for her sister's wellbeing, especially so in light of her recent condition.

'That was cold of you Weiss; I thought you had changed for the better,' scolded the younger Huntress-in-training.

'I…I just wanted to rile her up a bit. How could she move on so quickly and confidently when I am still hung up on him?' stammered the snowy heiress. 'I didn't think she was still like that.'

'We can save that for later, for now focus on finding her and making sure she doesn't do anything hasty,' said Blake tersely as she clipped on the magnetized scabbard.

Even though Yang had Bumblebee and could move around a lot faster, her signal seemed to have remained stationary for some time now at what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse at the edge of the docks.


End file.
